A rumbling sound filled the air. Kira and Taejo froze in place until the sound faded.
Kira followed the echoes to the back of the cavern and was struck dumb by the sight before her: a massive blue dragon, large wings folded to its side, was coiled tight and asleep. The dragon lay on a bed of gold and jewels that sparkled against its gleaming scales.
Kira couldn't take her eyes off the creature, fascinated by the iridescent quality of the blue scales edged with gold. A few of the dragon's scales were scattered on the floor of the cave. Without thinking, she reached down and picked one up to study it more closely.
The scale was harder than any armor and yet a thing of incredible beauty. It wasn't one shade of blue but several that seemed to swirl together in harmony. She didn't know if it was possible, but the scale seemed to be edged with real gold. Kira remembered hearing long ago that dragon scales were pure magic. Looking at this one, she knew it was true.
"How are you doing that?" Taejo asked, appearing at her side. He leaned down to pick up a scale, but his hand passed right through it. Frowning, he tried to take it from her hand and failed. "What magic are you using?"
Surprised, Kira dropped the scale. "I wasn't using any magic, I wasn't even thinking about anything except that scale."
Taejo looked at her in shock. "But you're not a shade anymore!"
She realized he was right. Her body was heavy again, substantial, her feet firmly planted on the ground. She could even smell the acrid odor of otherworldly magic in the cavern.
Kira bent down and picked up the scale again.
"It is magic," she said.
She put a hand to her chest and felt the tidal stone in the tiny bag she always carried against her heart. It was there with her now. Realizing this meant she had a way to get the dagger and protect themselves from the demons she quickly shoved the scale into her jacket, underneath her belt, and picked up a few more scales.
Holding one up before Taejo, she had him try again. "Focus all your attention on the scale and nothing else."
Taejo nodded and furrowed his eyebrows as he tried to grab the scale. Slowly, his hand began to solidify.
"I did it!" he cried. "I touched it."
He tried again several times before finally succeeding.
"I've got a dragon scale!" he crowed.
Kira covered his mouth with her hand. Only at that moment did she realize how loud they'd been speaking. An eerie sensation of being watched filled her gut with dread. She was staring into the large black eye of a fully awake and alert dragon.
30
The dragon rose to his full height, unfurling his golden wings so that they seemed to fill the entire cavern. He let out a jaw-cracking yawn and stretched his entire body before lying down again.
"Is it already time for me to kill another human champion?" he asked. He looked around and tilted his head. "That's odd. The door is still sealed shut, therefore it must not be time yet. So how did these two delectable humans get in here?"
He sighed. "It's a pity you don't speak dragon, as I will be obliged to kill you and never know how you got in here."
"We do understand you!" Kira yelled quickly. She covered the dragon scale in Taejo's hand with her own and shoved it into his jacket before stepping forward.
The dragon recoiled in surprise. "I have never conversed with a human before," he said. "This will make for interesting dinner conversation! I am in sore need of entertainment. Champions are never any fun. For all their bravery, they die quickly."
"Champions?" Kira asked.
"Yes, human champions," the dragon said. "That's what I thought you were at first. But I see I am mistaken. You are just a human girl and a human child. You can't be anyone's champions."
"Clearly you are very wise," Kira responded. "But what do the champions do?"
"Every one hundred years I open my cave to the world above. I never know where it will lead. And I don't much care, except when it opens up far north." He stretched. "I detest the cold.
"But I do know that the opening will lead me to whatever I happen to desire. So I venture into the human world and hunt for my treasures, wherever they may be, and return to my lair. But there are always humans who claim I've stolen their treasure and come to slay the mighty dragon. As if an army of humans could hurt me! Foolish men! I am Fulang and I am invincible!"
Kira bowed low before the dragon. "Lord Fulang, it is you who I seek. I am the Dragon Musado and I come to you to fulfill the Dragon King's prophecy by claiming the jeweled dagger."
"You? A human girl? The mighty Musado?" Fulang laughed with great gusto.
Kira waited patiently until the dragon stopped wheezing. "How else was I able to enter your lair?" she asked.
The dragon sat up and gazed down at Kira from his imposing height.
"The girl speaks in riddles," he said to himself. "Intriguing."
He brought his head level with them.
"There is a simple test to see whether or not you are who you say you are, girl." Reaching behind him, the dragon pulled out a large chest filled with jeweled daggers of all kinds and placed it in front of Kira. Kira felt her tidal stone flare up in an immediate response.
"If you are truly the Musado, then it should be easy for you to find the real dagger," he said. "Careful. If you choose incorrectly, then I will eat you."
His eyes gleamed red with excitement. "I haven't had a human meal in a hundred years."
Kira sorted through the box, carefully examining each item. She placed a hand over her chest, letting it rest on the tidal stone. There was no response. She dug harder, wondering why the tidal stone had reacted earlier if the dagger was not in the chest. But it was to no avail.
"It's not here," she said.
"Are you sure?" Fulang asked. He gazed at her from eyes filled with malicious amusement. "You don't want to be wrong now."
Something drew her closer to the dragon. Her eye were drawn to the glimmer of his razor-sharp claws. One of his middle talons was elongated, jewels studded the base, making the dragon look like he was wearing an elaborate ring. The tidal stone began to pulse against her chest.
What you seek is hidden and yet in plain view. You must be careful to recognize truth from lies and follow your heart in order to obtain it.
"You have it," she exclaimed. "It's a part of you? How is that possible?"
"That's because it's mine," the dragon said. "It's always been mine and no one can take it away from me!" He stabbed the dagger claw into the ground, causing it to tremble.
Alarmed by the tremor, Kira held on tight to Taejo as the entire cave felt ready to fall apart. The dragon removed the claw from the ground and the tremor stopped. He slowly sank down to the ground, bringing his head to their level.
"But perhaps I can strike a deal with you, girl Musado," he said. "Let me eat this boy for a snack and I will give you all the treasure you can carry."
Kira pushed Taejo behind her and armed herself with a sword from the nearest skeleton. "I will kill you before I let you touch him."
"Wonderful!" He laughed. "A battle before dinner. It'll help my digestion to get a little exercise. I'll just have to save him for dessert, then. But I'll be merciful and kill you first, if you tell me how you entered my lair."
"You answer my question, dragon," she replied. "How did the jeweled dagger become part of you?"
"It was always a part of me, foolish one! I am the great Fulang!"
"That's not true, now, is it, cousin?" a new voice drawled.
Kira was shocked to see Nara, in her fox form, sauntering toward them.
"Good evening, cousin," Nara said. Her nine tails seemed to flame at their very tips and her normally amber eyes shone a deep red.
The dragon snorted, leaving rings of smoke to envelope them. "You are no cousin of mine, fiend," he said.
The kumiho smiled, baring sharp teeth.
"We were made from the darkness and the same elemental fire. As much as you may deny it, we are indeed cousins," she said.
Nara paced in front of the dragon, her nine tails waving behind her like a large burning fan. The dragon swatted at them in irritation.
"What is it you want, fiend! My patience is nearly at an end!"
"You were not meant to keep the jeweled dagger, cousin. You were only meant to guard it, but when you learned of its power, you coveted it, didn't you? So greedy were you that you even removed your own claw and replaced it with the dagger so that no one could steal it. And then you used it to close up your lair, opening it only when your greed caused you to seek out new treasures." She flicked her tails over a pile of treasures, causing it to come crashing down. "You've abused the power of the Dragon King's treasure, and you will pay for your arrogance."
She stood still right before the dragon, her tails floating lazily under his nose.
Fulang rose to his full height and spread his wings. Both Kira and Taejo shrank back in fear.
"You dare to lecture me, the great Fulang? I will tear you limb from limb!" His bellows echoed through the cavern.